


Lost & Found

by CayCharming



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 12:31:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8714047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CayCharming/pseuds/CayCharming
Summary: A story about being reunited with your childhood friend, Credence Barebone.





	1. At The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Just a fair warning for everyone right away, here is your trigger warning for abuse. Be safe and read only if you feel comfortable enough doing so. Now, I would also like to say this is a Credence x female reader fic. I point that out so anyone who identifies differently isn't disappointed. Now, I'm still working on the plot for this fic, it's ongoing and I'm not sure where it will take me. There might be smut somewhere down the line (hence the mature rating) but only if I feel it suits the story and isn't disrespectful. That is a huge worry of mine, I want to portray Credence respectfully, I know abuse is real and would never want to belittle anyone by writing him incorrectly. But enough of my rambling, hope you enjoy the fic.

Growing up in Brooklyn as a wizard was memorable. Your family was, thankfully, fairly well off and did not want for much. Your childhood before you started school at Ilvermorny had been wonderful. You had a loving family and even a few friends. Your best friend, however, was a little boy called Credence. 

He had lived nearby with his mother. You never knew what exactly happened to his father. Credence had only said that he had died. It was one of the first times you could recall ever hearing about death but it would not be the last.

You were really young when you knew Credence. More of a toddler really but you could never forget him. He was your first best friend and he had left his impact on you.

Your fun together was often spent in your backyard. Your family was one of the lucky few that actually had a backyard to play in. Fenced off and protected by magic so no-maj couldn't see you both playing with magical toys that seemed to be alive.

The two of you were thick as thieves. Spending any moment you had with each other.

So many years had passed it was harder to remember all the details about your friendship. You could only remember how happy he had made you and how much it hurt you when you woke up one morning to find him gone.

His mother had been killed. Your parents had never told you how or why. Only that she had been taken from this world and because of that…Credence had been sent away. Your parents always assumed he had been sent to live with another family member but you would soon discover how wrong they were.

There was a good bit of time where you were dedicated to finding him. You wanted him back where he belonged, with you. How would any of his relatives know what games he liked to play or how he liked to practice his magic daily or know what sort of tools he liked to draw with?

You never found him. Mostly because your parents had forbidden you from searching when you were younger and even when you were older, it was impossible. You could find no one with his last name, he had never shown up at Ilvermorny and you had lost all hope of ever seeing him again.

Thus, you moved on with your life. You never truly forgot him but you did your best not to dwell on something you had no control over. You focused on your life. You had done well at school and were currently on your own. You had moved into the city recently and into your own apartment. You were about to start your training for being an Auror. You were the first in your family to have any interest in the job and they tried to talk you out of it but it could not be done. You wanted to do some good in the world and this was how you saw to do it, no matter how challenging it would be.

You had only been training for a short while at the MACUSA. It was demanding and required quite a lot of studying but in your mind, it would be worth it.

On one particular day, you were walking to the headquarters. Most would simply apparate close to the building but you preferred to walk when you could. The city was far too fascinating not to admire it when you had a spare moment.

You loved New York. Everything felt as if it was constantly moving, for wizards and no-maj. There was a comfort in that. You had never been too fond of the quiet.

The people in the city, most of them were perfectly polite but you were growing to expect the handful of rude people.

You had been staring into a shop window of a new dress shop, considering saving up some money for a dazzling new dress in the window. You weren’t sure where you would wear it. Your friends from training were few and most of your friends from school were busy with their own new adult lives. Still, it didn’t hurt to hope for something to do in a sparkling dress.

Suddenly, you were shoved quite harshly. That you were getting used to as well. In daylight, the streets were packed and standing still might as well have been a crime. You were about to apologize out of pure instinct alone when you were shoved again by another passerby, only this time, you had been knocked to the ground.

Perhaps wearing heels had not been the wisest choice for the day. You managed to catch yourself with your hands but they were scraped with cuts when they came in contact so roughly with the street. One of your knees met the same fate as well.

“Excuse you!” You shouted quite sarcastically after the man you had caught a brief glance of on your way down.

He didn’t care. He kept walking without sparing you a second thought.

“Bastards.” You muttered lowly under your breath as you fixed your skirt and tried to brush the dust off of it.

You glanced up when a pale hand was presented not too far from your face. The palms were rough and bruised. Your eyes did not linger on the state of the hand before you looked up to see who it belonged to.

It was a young man, a very stoic, handsome, man who had to be similar to your own age. He wore a nice suit but it looked just a bit too small for him. His eyes were dark, much like his hair which was cut in a style most men gave up long ago. Something about his eyes were painfully familiar but you clearly must have been staring for too long because he quickly cast his gaze to the ground and pull his unsteady hand away.

“I’m sorry, I thought you needed help.” His voice was soft, so soft you had almost missed what he said all together.

“No, no. I appreciate it. Thank you.” You offered your hand again, hoping that you could redeem yourself with him.

He hesitantly took your hand and helped you onto to your feet.

You were surprised with how quickly he had let go of your hand, almost as if he was afraid of touching you.

You offered him a smile even though he couldn’t seem to look directly at you. This didn’t bother you; in school, there had been many shy kids and some so shy and anxious it troubled them immensely. You hoped that you could seem friendly enough to him so that he didn’t feel troubled in any sort of way.

“Someone outta let people know chivalry in New York isn’t completely dead.” You stated warmly.

You felt a bit of relief when you saw the corners of his mouth turn up the smallest amount.

Then you noticed them, the flyers clutched tightly in his hands. He belonged to the Second Salemers. You had been warned to stay away from the extremist group as they had apparently caused some previous issues with an Auror quite recently. It hurt just a bit knowing someone who appeared to be so kind would hate what you were. Your face must have faltered because when you looked up, the man took a few steps back.

“Y-You don’t have to take one.” He stammered slightly and the fear you saw in him reminded you far too much of a friend in school who’s boyfriend had been hurting her.

Could that explain the mark on his hands? Was he being hurt by someone?

“Can I have one?” You inquired gently.

He looked up properly, for the first time and you were met with his eyes again. The familiar darkness in them was almost welcoming.

“Of course.” He said and he moved forward to hand one over to you.

You didn’t feel guilty about taking the flyer. Not if it somehow helped him.

“Thank you. I will consider coming.” You said as you read that there was some sort of meeting in front of the no-maj bank soon.

You looked at his hands and your heart ached at the sight of them. If he wasn’t a no-maj, you would have healed him in a heartbeat.

“I’m actually heading to work but can ask you something silly?” You asked and he looked at you with uncertainty but he nodded.

“I see that you have some wounds on your hands. I’m no nurse but I do know how to clean a wound. If you’d like, you can come to my apartment after 5. Only if you are free, of course. And if you want to. I wanted only wanted to offer because I know many people will leave their wounds unattended if not careful, myself included.” You laughed, out of nervousness because you could not read his face.

You wanted to help, desperately. No matter if he would hate what you were or not. If he was being harmed, he deserved help. You might only be able to provide it in little ways but you had to try.

“I wouldn’t want to trouble you, Miss-”

“(Y/N). And you don’t have to worry about a thing. You’ve been really nice to me and I would like to do something kind in return.” You shrugged and you watched as he looked down and fidgeted with the flyers.

“That might be too late.” He sputtered and you nodded understandingly.

“That’s alright.” You affirmed.

You gave him directions to your place, regardless, and pulled something out of your bag.

“And, just because you look like you need something sweet, would you like this?” You asked, offering him a wrapped chocolate.

He looked away and shook his head.

“Alright, that’s fine too.” You assured him as you tucked it away.

“I have more at home if you can come over Mister-oh, I’m so rude, I never asked for your name.” You confessed.

“It’s Credence.” He mumbled, giving a brief glance in your direction.

Your heart gave a pang and for a moment, you felt a nostalgic hope rise in you. It couldn’t possibly be him. The universe was not that kind to you. Many people could have had such a name. You quickly snuffed out your hopes out and smiled at Credence.

“That’s a lovely name. I hope I see you around sometime.” You admitted as you started to walk away.

You gave a quick wave before turning away. It took everything in you not to turn around just to see if he was standing there. You weren’t sure if you would ever see him again but you truly hoped you would. He appeared to need real help and you wanted to try to provide it. There was something familiar about him as well. You could not really put your finger on it but you wanted to figure out what it was.


	2. Use Somebody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Credence finally comes to your apartment but reveals something you never truly expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely comments so far! It's really nice to know that others are enjoying this too! Hopefully you'll like this one as well. :)

You did not see Credence right away. He never came to your apartment that night but you still hoped he would stop by at some point. You were worried you had been a bit too presumptuous for him. If that was the case, you could not help but feel a tad bit guilty. What if he never got any help and it was because of you?

If you were not careful, the guilt of something like that would consume you. That was why you tried your best not to think about Credence. However, it was going quite poorly as you had subconsciously started walking to headquarters more in hopes of seeing him. An ache of dread always settled in you when you did not see him by the dress shop. Often, you considered going to find him. It would have been easy to do so. The Second Salemers were very vocal but you did not want to startle him even further.

Therefore, to try your best not to worry yourself sick, you forced yourself to focus on your training. Throwing yourself into the studies and work as much as you possibly could.

On one of the rare days where you had kept Credence off of your mind, the unexpected happened. You had just apperated back into your apartment. It had been one of the more rough days of training, it had been an exhausting day of rigorous class work and trying to kiss up to aurors. That came with being a trainee because if trainees showed enough potential, they would be chosen by an auror and act as their mentor. If you were not chosen, you would fail the training process and be kicked out of the program.

Thankfully, that could only happen in the third year. Still, it didn't hurt to try to impress the current aurors for the future. The only one that moderately seemed interested was Percival Graves. He was an auror but also the Director of Magical Security and head of the MACUSA's Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He was not exactly the warmest person but you thought he could be a very capable mentor for you. But it was all but impossible to have a proper conversation with him because he was always so busy.

It also didn’t help that other trainees had the same thing in mind and wanted Graves for themselves. Even though you knew that you weren’t terrible in social situations but him talking with so many others made you feel like you were.

You were more than eager for this day to end. You groaned as you dropped your heavy suitcase to the floor and you were about to flop down onto your sofa when you heard knocking at the door.

You were so drained and stressed that you felt like screaming. If it was your unpleasant no-maj neighbor than she was not going to get a pleasant conversation.

The knock came again as you went to the door. You opened it, expecting the familiar face of your neighbor but you saw Credence; backing away as you opened the door a bit too harshly.

Your face instantly softened and you blinked in surprise.

"Credence." You breathed, opening the door and stepping out properly.

He wouldn't look directly at you, at the moment his gaze was on your shoulder but you didn't mind. You were just thrilled to see him standing in front of you.

"It's so good to see you. I was worried I had scared you off." You confessed with a nervous laugh.

He shook his head and he stepped a bit closer.

"I hope I'm not intruding...I just...I remembered you said that you knew how to treat injuries." He fretted.

"You're not intruding at all." You assured him and you were about to let him into the apartment without a second thought when you glanced behind you to see quite a few pictures a no-maj would be blown away by.

"Just give me one second, Credence. My apartment is a mess." You babbled before closing the door and pulling out your wand.

You made quick work of making sure the photos did not move. Got rid of the actual mess in your apartment and hid your more magical books. You then hid your wand in one of your cabinets and then dashed back to the door.

"Sorry about that, this place was a wreck." You declared.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad." Credence mumbled, offering you a small smile.

He had a very nice smile and you hoped that you would get to see it fully one day.

"You overestimate me, sweetheart." You admitted as you gestured for him to come inside.

He stepped inside, taking off his hat and wincing a bit.

"Thank you for doing this for me." He breathed; as if nothing was wrong at all.

You closed the door and moved in front of him.

"It's no problem...can I take your hat? I don't think you should hold anything until I have you bandaged." You explained.

He nodded quickly, looking apologetic as he passed you his hat.

"Credence." You gasped when you saw the open and bleeding gashes on his hands.

"It looks worse than it is." He stated quickly; as if trying to make you feel better which took you aback.

You sat his hat on the kitchen counter and moved back over to him, gently taking one of his hand and looking over the palm. It would be so painfully easy to heal him with magic but you couldn't.

"I'm so sorry." You murmured before looking up and meeting his slightly confused eyes.

"It's not your fault." He promised.

You released his hand carefully as you went to fetch your medical kit from the pantry.

"I know, I just mean-"

You trailed off as you closed the pantry door and turned to look at him.

He stood exactly where you had left him. Unmoving aside from his slight shaking that you had never seen him do before. He was uneasy. That was written all over his face.

"I'm sorry someone did this to you." You finished and that seemed to cause something to finally snap within him.

His shaking grew into an uncontrollable convulsing as tears started to stream down his face.

You sat the medical kit down on the sofa before hurrying over to him. You wrapped your arms around him out of instinct and hugged him.

"It's alright, Credence. It's okay." You cooed, trying your best to sooth him.

It felt silly saying such a thing. It obviously wasn’t okay. Not when this was happening to him. There were other important matters at hand though. Calming him down being the main one.

"I-I'm sorry." He croaked.

You jumped a bit when painting fell off the wall, for a brief moment, you wondered what had caused that but Credence took back your focus as he apologized feverishly.

"Shh, it's alright. You don’t have to say that, it’s fine." You sympathized as he rubbed his back.

He didn’t stop apologizing and you frowned. You tried your best to comfort him. Assuring him it was okay but you never told him to stop apologizing. He obviously couldn’t stop himself from doing it.

You eventually got him over to the sofa. The tears didn't stop but now he was doing a bit of rocking he also didn’t seem to have any proper control over.

You did not dare ask who had hurt him. He had been through enough for the day and the last thing he needed was being questioned by you.

You asked him to take his jacket off and he did with some help from you. When you saw that blood was seeping through parts of the sleeves on his arms, your face fell.

"Can I roll your sleeves up?" You asked and he gave a curt nod.

"It doesn't happen all the time." He stammered.

The fact that it happened at all sickened you but you didn’t tell him that. You couldn’t. You did not want him to feel any worse than he already did.

Once his sleeves were rolled up and you saw the same wounds scattered up his arms, your heart sank even lower.

"It was my fault, I should have-"

"Credence, I promise you there is nothing in this world you could have done to deserve this." You stressed as you looked at his face.

He wouldn’t look at you and it was then you wondered how long he had spent his life not being able to look at anyone.

There was no talking for quite some time. He attempted to compose himself as you cleaned and bandaged his wounds. When he did seem to calm down a bit, you glanced up at his face a few times to see if you could read it.

You could not read much as he kept his gaze cast downward but you wished you could have done something to cheer him up.

As you were working on the last bit of the bandaging on his arm, you decided to try talking.

"You know, I had a best friend when I was very little. I'm talking like 3 or 4 years old, his name was Credence too." You smiled.

He glanced at you and your eyes locked.

"Was?" He asked.

You let out a soft dry laugh and then tore your eyes away from him to focus on cleaning a rather deep gash.

"Made it sound a bit grim, didn’t I? Nothing happened to him. He just moved away.”

He whimpered when the antiseptic made contact with his skin. It was the first time he had made any discomfort known and you hated that you had caused him the tiniest bit of pain.

“I’m sorry.” You whispered but as you spoke, his head fell onto your shoulder.

You did not even get a second to think about why he had done that when he pulled away quickly.

"I'm sorry, Miss (Y/N)." He professed.

You hadn't minded the contact. In fact, it had made you feel content. Perhaps you were doing something good if he felt comfortable enough to do that.

"It's okay." You affirmed as you rested a hand on his chest to steady him.

"It's fine, really, I don't mind...and you can just call me (Y/N), if you want."

You removed your hand and went back to bandaging the injury.

"Miss (Y/N)?" He murmured and you smiled a bit when his head fell gently back onto your shoulder.

"Yes, Mister Credence?" You asked softly, smiling a bit as you worked.

“I apologize, for having you do this for me. I…have a friend who normally helps but he hasn’t been to see me in a while.” He confessed.

A bit of weight lifted off your shoulders at that. He had a friend. Someone else in this city was looking after him as well. He was not entirely alone. Perhaps you could meet this man and you could both figure out how to help Credence properly. Get him away from whoever was hurting him.

You finished up with the last wound and ran your hand across his back.

“It’s okay, I really am happy to help. I’m sorry your friend hasn’t been to see you though…if it helps at all, you can come here whenever you want. Even if I'm not home, you can just grab my spare key. It's hidden in the plant outside. A bit obvious but hey-it's slightly more original than under the doormat." You said a bit sheepishly as you pulled away to look at him properly.

Your eyes went a bit wide when you heard a faint and quite giggle escape his lips. You had never heard him laugh before and the sound alone made you smile.

It reminded you a bit of the Credence you knew as a boy. He too had an infectious laugh. You could recall laughing at things that were not that funny at all simply because the little boy had fallen into a giggle fit.

You watched a moment, memorized by him and his laugh.

“You’re nifty, Credence.” You said fondly as you laughed a bit yourself.

You thought he was much more than that. He was absolutely adorable but you couldn’t possibly tell him that. He was a no-maj but more importantly, he was going through a lot. The last thing he needed was some woman calling him adorable.

He looked down, smiling slightly as he ran his fingers across the bandages. You were tempted to run your fingers through his hair as you noticed a slight flush on his face.

“Can I ask who normally helps you?” You asked curiously as you watched him.

That seemed to make him a bit nervous but he nodded.

“Mr. Graves. I met him a few months back.” He admitted and you blinked with surprise.

He couldn’t possibly mean the man you saw almost every day.

“He wouldn’t be called Percival Graves by any chance, would he?” You asked and he nodded as he looked up at you again.

“You know him?” He asked with almost a sense of desperation.

You weren’t too sure what to say at first. You didn’t know what Credence relationship with Graves was. You couldn’t understand how he knew Credence at all. Had he told Credence about their world? More importantly, if he knew about Credence why in the world was he only helping him with his injuries? He could do far more than that. He was in a more secure place within the government than you were. He could have gotten Credence real and proper help.

“I-I do.” You heard yourself stammer.

“Are you like him?” He asked with wide eyes.

He did know about Magic.

“Yes.” You said but it felt bizarre to actually say it to no-maj.

A breathy laughed escaped him and he looked down at his hands.

“I can’t believe I know two of you now.” He said with amazement.

“H-How do you know about us at all, Credence?” You asked curiously, trying your best not seem too shocked by it all because you didn’t want to scare him.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry. I’m not going to say anything to anyone about it. Your secret is safe with me.” He promised but then his face filled with concern.

“You look pale, are you alright?” He asked.

“Yes, just a bit shocked is all.” You confessed as he shook your head a bit to try to clear it.

You weren’t sure what Graves was doing with Credence and until you were, you didn’t want to say too much. What you should have done was obliviate him but you couldn’t. You were far too attached to him to do something like that. You had never liked the laws related to relations with no-maj but if he had to be obiviated that was Graves job.

“Does he heal your hands with magic?” You inquired curiously.

You still wanted to help him and you were determined to do so despite how many questions you had for him and Graves.

“He does.” Credence said a bit nervously.

“Would you like me to do the same?” You questioned.

“But you already did so much work.” He murmured and you smiled softly.

With a wave of your hand, you removed his bandages and then slowly his wounds started to vanish.

He gave a sigh of relief and you smiled.

“Would you like to stay here tonight?” You offered, dreading his answer because you knew exactly what he’d be.

“Oh…I can’t.” He professed.

He looked outside the window and his eyes went a bit wide.

“It’s dark out. I should head back home.” He said quickly as got to his feet.

You got onto your feet and looked at him with concern.

“Are you sure? I really don’t mind if you stay.” You assured him and he smiled softly.

“You’re very kind, Miss (Y/N). But I have to go home.” He said with a slightly bowed head.

“Alright, will you stop by if you get a chance?” You asked hopefully.

He met your eyes and nodded quickly.

“Of course.” He said earnestly.

“Can I give you something before you go?” You asked a bit nervously.

He nodded and you moved closer, wrapping your arms around him. You didn’t expect him to hug you back. He hadn’t earlier but this time he hugged you back, his face settling into the crook of your neck.

“Come here, alright? If you ever need anything.” You whispered.

“I will.” He said and then you hesitantly pulled away.

You didn’t want to pull away from him. You could physically feel him clinging to the touch but you did not want to keep him for too long.

“W-Will you-Can you ask Mr. Graves to come see me if he gets a chance?” He asked so fretfully that it caused your heart to ache.

“Of course, sweetheart.” You promised.

“Thank you. I’ll try to come back soon.” He said as he moved toward the door.

You followed him, grabbing his hat on the way and handing it to him as you opened the door.

“Be safe.” You said and you truly hoped he would be.

“I’ll try.” He promised as he put his hat on.

He thanked you once more before finally departing. You were left there completely in shock. When you thought about him coming to your apartment, you never imagined it ending that way. You would have to talk with Graves in the morning. You didn’t care if you were only a trainee and he was above you. His relationship with Credence was bizarre and you needed to figure out his intentions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter finished! This fic appears to be turning into something I didn't exactly plan ( I didn't plan anything really). I believe this fic might have a hint of 'protect Credence from Graves/Grindlewald" in it. Didn't plan for it to go that way but I like how it's turning out.


	3. The Room Where It Happens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confronting Percival Graves on his relationship with Credence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again with another chapter! Sadly, this one is Credence-less (fear not it includes a lot of talk about him) but the next one will include him a lot I'm sure. This chapter is basically about figuring out what no one else in the MACUSA could which is figure out that Graves was suspicious as hell. Enjoy!

The next morning at headquarters things were rather hectic. Trainees were going on about some apartment building that had been destroyed near city hall. It would not have normally been a big deal but this was an ongoing problem in New York. Places would be reduced to nothing by something that was obviously magically. It had gotten so bad that even no-maj we’re starting to look into it which meant nothing good for the wizarding world. The magical exposure threat level was now at a critical serve due to the unexplained activity.

This also led to nothing good for you. It meant that Graves would be far more busy than usual and if you couldn’t talk to him about this it would only cause you to worry. You had left your apartment far earlier than usual (which was saying something because class started quite early) in hopes of bumping into Graves before he went in to work properly.

You waited in front of his office, hoping it would be the first place he would go when he arrived. You paced nervously as you thought about how exactly you would talk about this. You did not want to seem like you were accusing him of something. That would get you kicked out right away. You had to handle this delicately…unless Graves proved to be doing something horrible.

“Miss (L/N)?”

You had not even noticed Graves enter the hall and you looked up to see him walking toward you. He had always been a rather well put together man. He wore nice suits and carried himself in a manner that made him seem like the surest person in the room. A few of the other trainees did gush over his looks but you never saw him that way. You respected him far too much for that to even cross your mind.

“Mr. Graves, good morning. I know you’re probably insanely busy-

“Indeed I am, and don't you have quite a few classes today?” He inquired as he unlocked his door with a wave of his wand.

“I do actually.” You babbled.

You normally were not the nervous type around him but this subject was overwhelming. You had come to the conclusion that there had to be a reason Graves was involved with Credence, but why exactly was he not getting the poor man help? There was no excuse for it whatsoever.

“Then why are you wasting your time here?” He asked as he took his heavier coat off and handed it the coat rack that reached for it.

“I met someone a few days ago. Someone I believe you know as well.” You began as he meddled with things on his desk, not really paying you any mind.

“That would be?” He asked.

“He’s a boy. Well, I say boy I believe he’s around my age. His name is Credence.” You said with as much casualness as you could muster.

His back was to you but you watched as he froze. He rose his hand and with a wave of it, the door was shut.

“No one was supposed to know about him.” He stated and then he turned around to face you.

You stood by the door, suddenly feeling more intimated than you had in your whole life as he looked at you like you were the one who had done something wrong. That alone angered you enough to find your voice.

“Clearly, he’s a no-maj and he knows about magic. Not exactly something I can imagine you’d want getting out.” You snapped.

You heard how harsh you sounded and your heart started to pound. This was someone who could end your career and you had mouthed off to him.

“Forgive me, Sir. It’s…I’m just confused. I know you are aware of the protocol-

“He’s not a no-maj. He's a squib.” Graves stated simply but you could swear he was almost pleased with your reaction.

“A squib? Credence? Are we talking about the same boy?” You asked.

He sighed, moving behind his desk to sit down and he gestured for you to sit in the seat in front of it.

“Tell me how much you know about our dear Credence Barebone.” He instructed as you nervously sat down.

“I met him on the street. Passing out those flyers for the Second Salemers. I saw that his hands were hurt and I told him to come to my apartment if he ever needed any help mending them. No-maj mending, nothing magical whatsoever.” You stressed.

“You were going to help someone you believed would hate who you were?” He questioned with disbelief.

“That didn’t matter to me. He acted a lot like a friend I had in school. Her boyfriend…he was disgusting. He abused her in horrible ways. He reminded me of her and I feared he was being abused too. I didn’t care if he would hate me for what I am or not. He deserves help like anyone else.” You insisted.

“That’s very admiral of you, Miss (L/N).”

You shook your head as you felt a bit of flush on your face. You had always put helping others first. It was not honorable to you it was just the right thing to do.

“I care about people. Wizards or not. He needed help and I offered it. It took him a few days to finally show up but last night he did. His injuries were worse and he was a wreck. I got him bandaged up and then he brought you up, Mr. Graves.” You explained, watching his reactions closely.

He was taking a sip out of a flask in his jacket pocket, so calm as if he knew how this conversation was going to play out.

“He said you normally help him. He didn’t think I would know you, of course, but once he knew I did, he was…elated.” You shrugged.

“I healed him, properly. I didn’t say much even though I had countless questions. He left and I’ve been confused since.” You confessed as he put his flask away.

“You’ve spoken to no one else of Credence?” He questioned.

That question took you aback. Of course, you hadn’t told anyone. You weren’t sure what the hell was going on.

“I would not know where to even begin, Sir.” You admitted.

“I can enlighten you on the situation at hand then.” He said simply.

“Please do.” You replied.

“I first came into contact with Credence Barebone after an auror by the name of Porpentina Goldstein, investigated the Second Salemers. Against orders, I might add. She quickly discovered that Mary Lou, the head of the heretics and Credence’s adoptive mother, was abusing the children she had adopted.”

You felt sick as you heard this news. Credence had most likely been abused by this horrible woman ever since he came into her care. But it was not only him, there were others and now you feared for them as well. You also had not known Credence was adopted. A part of you wondered that if he was indeed the little Credence you had known as a child but dismissed the idea.

“Goldstein was meddling with things no wizards should be involved with. Not according to the MACUSA.”

You blinked, unsure why he talked as if that did not include him as well. It didn’t set right with you.

“You act like you do not feel the same.” You observed.

“I don’t, not when it comes to this. They would all prefer to let a group like the Second Salemers carry on with their rallies and pamphlets. Apparently, having a group constantly spewing hatred toward our kind is fine as long as the no-maj think they’re crazy which most of them do.”

He laughed, looking away and for the first time seeming truly irked by the situation.

“The really troubling thing is that they were more than fine with letting the children stay with Mary Lou. Simply said it was not their place but it would have been so easy to take them somewhere else. Credence should be placed into our world. He might be squib but he belongs here like anyone else.” He argued.

Something didn’t feel right. You started to feel uneasy as the conversation went on.

“What did they do?” You inquired, ignoring his comment to the pressing matter at hand.

“Mary Lou was obliviated. Quite a lot of people were because they had seen Goldstein use magic to protect Credence. He should have very well been but I could not let that happen with good conscious. You see, there is something odd happening in this city. I’m sure you noticed.”

He looked at you as if you were both sharing some important secret. The uneasiness you felt had not gone away at all. It only grew and you wanted to do nothing more than to escape from here but you were in too deep.

“The unexplained destruction?” You questioned.

He nodded and he looked even more troubled than before.

“Exactly. Now, judging by eye witnessed accounts, it strongly resembles an obscruial. Do you know what that is?” He inquired.

You thought for a moment and it took your mind a moment to recall your history.

“Y-Yes..it’s a child who has been abused or oppressed because of their magic. That causes the Obscurs to take over their body like a disease.” You concluded.

You knew exactly where he was going with this. He had a good theory. It could very well be one of Mary Lou’s children or someone else who goes to those meetings.

“And does it not seem like it could very well be someone Mary Lou has contact with?”

“Possibly.” You conceded.

This still felt off. Why did Graves have to involve Credence into any of this at all?

“That was why I could not let him be oblivated. Credence is close to it all. He will be able to pick out the obscruial without causing any trouble. When he does, I can deal with it. Properly. Without harming the child unlike the MACUSA.” He explained, his face softened as looked at you as if you would feel the same.

You wanted to help this child as well but your mind came back to Credence. His safety came first to you but for some reason, Graves was willing to let it go. It made your stomach turn.

“But what about helping him?” You dared to ask.

You watched as he grew frustrated and you could tell he wanted to snap at you but he was careful to hold himself back as he looked at you.

“Don’t you see, I am? After he finds the obscruial, I will get him far away from that horrible woman. I’ll oblivate him as well for good measure. His life will be better off without those memories.”

You know knew exactly where Graves stood. Credence was just a tool. A device to help him find the obscruial, nothing more. It was all in the name for the greater good but that did not change the fact he was a hypocrite. He shamed the MACUSA for letting the abuse carry on but he was willing to do the same if it meant he got to the obscruial first. 

Something about that seemed off as well. How could he be so sure it was an obscruial? He had claimed it was a beast before and now you doubted this man altogether. You were unsure of what his motives were. You could not say if they were bad or good but you knew he was only using Credence. He did not care about him, or his safety. Only the obscruial.

Graves had always seemed like a good person but now you sat in front of a stranger. Your heart was pounding but you kept your face emotionless. When you were in the lion’s den it would not be wise to lash out.

“I see.” You heard yourself say in a surprisingly calm voice.

“Good, you’re a smart girl.” He commented.

“You said Credence was a squib?” You asked, trying to learn as much as you could.

He scoffed as if that was a bad thing to be; that alone made you want to reach across the desk and punch him. It had been a long time since you had properly done that.

“I can sense it. He clearly has some sort of magical lineage. I even asked him about his background. He doesn’t know much but he remembers being taken away from his mother at a young age. Judging by the comments Mary Lou makes, she had something to do with her death.”

You had to force yourself not to react to that but inwardly, it was like the air had been knocked out of you. The fact that he was adoptive was easy to disregard as being hopeful but knowing that his mother had been killed…that changed everything. You had originally thought everything with Credence was simply a coincidence but in truth, the universe was rarely so lazy.

This was your Credence. The sweetest little boy you had ever known and your first best friend. He had not been sent away to live with other family members…Mary Lou had something to do with his mother’s death and ensured she got to keep him. To ‘fix’ him.

“Are you alright?” Graves asked suddenly when he saw you had gone a bit paler.

“Yes, I’m sorry it’s just a tad overwhelming.” You babbled.

“Yes, it can be a lot to take in.” He consoled as he stood.

You took that as a sign to stand up as well. You were more than eager to leave. You had to find Credence as soon as possible.

“Now that you are aware of the situation at hand…you can help me as well. I shall come to you if I ever need your assistance. If all goes well, I will ensure your time in training goes swiftly.” He smiled at you as he led you toward the door.

He was bribing you. Subtly but it was a bribe nonetheless. To ensure you kept quite.

“For Credence and obscruial’s sake, I do not recommend telling anyone of this.” We want them both safe, don’t we?” He questioned while he opened the door.

“Yes, of course.” You assured him quickly.

You no longer trusted him. You were not sure what Graves's goal was but you didn’t like it.

“Now go. Can’t have you being late for class.” He smiled and you forced a smile back as you started to walk out the door.

You could tell he underestimated you. Perhaps this could be used to your advantage. Maybe you could figure out what exactly his true intentions were and report what was going on.

You remembered what Credence asked you to do the night before. To tell Graves he wanted to see him but you held your tongue. If you had any say in the matter, Credence would stay far away from Percival Graves.

“Thank you, for your time, Mr. Graves. I will do my best to help in any way I can.” You promised with the same enthusiasms you saw in over eager trainees. The more you could make him believe you trusted him the better.

“Good girl.” He said with a slight smirk that you knew would have made others weak in the knees but it only made you feel angry.

You turned away to go to your classes for the rest of the day. You felt his eyes on you as you left but you did not look behind you.

He assumed you were like all the others. He was wrong. You were not easily swayed like everyone else. Whatever he was up to, you were determined to figure it out what it was. But more importantly, you would protect Credence with everything you had in you. After all, you hadn’t got a chance to when you were younger, now was your second chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, this fic is going to be all about protecting Credence. A fair reminder, I'm a poor planner. I have little to no idea where this plot is going and hopefully it'll keep making sense. Stay tuned for more Credence! ;)


	4. Breathe Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big reveal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Look who's not dead! It's me. Sorry it took me so long to update this fic. Hit a bit of a writers block and once I finally cleared it, for some reason, I wrote a super long chapter that took me ages to write. I hope you all enjoy!

As soon as you were done with your classes, you made fast work of leaving as quickly as possible. You didn't linger to talk to aurors or other trainees. None of that mattered, not when Credence needed your help.

For a moment, you panicked, unsure of where you were going to find him and then you remembered. The Second Salemers were having some sort of meeting in front of the bank. You apparated into an alley by the bank, looking around to be sure no one had seen. Thankfully, no one paid you any mind.

You could already hear a woman's voice as she spoke up to a crowd developing. Just hearing Mary Lou's voice angered you. None of these people knew what she did. No one knew how vile she was and you wished you could let everyone know but you forced your attention on Credence's wellbeing.

Carefully, you stepped out of the alley to see a crowd of people staring at Mary Lou on the steps of the bank. She had a way with words that was for sure. She had a nice speaking voice and seemed very sure of herself as she went on about something destroying the city.

You looked around but you could find no sign of Credence, too many people were blocking your view. You had wanted to avoid getting too close to Mary Lou but there was no way around it now. You had to warn Credence to be warry about Graves.

Taking a deep breath, you moved forward and started making your way through the crowd, trying your best to find Credence.

There were far too many people here to your liking. To be fair it didn't appear she had mentioned wizards or magic yet but you hoped these people would clear out once she had. You hadn't been able to find him until a man tripped over a briefcase. That was when the crowd split and you could see Credence flinch as the man fell near him.

You frowned and tried to get closer.

"You, Friend!"

You stopped dead in your tracks and for a very fearful moment, you thought Mary Lou was speaking directly to you. You didn't want this woman knowing you even existed for Credence's sake.

You looked up, relieved she was speaking to the man next to you who wore a bow tie. Quickly, you looked down and made your way toward Credence who had noticed you the moment Mary Lou began speaking the man in the bowtie.

Credence looked at you with fearful eyes. For a moment you thought he was scared for himself but you were quickly proved wrong when he stepped closer and he handed you a pamphlet.

"You shouldn't be here." He whispered.

You could see it now. The fear he had was not for himself but for you. He didn't want you around Mary Lou and that warmed your heart.

He had nothing to fear. You could protect yourself from Mary Lou and you wanted to do the same for Credence.

"I have to talk to you." You stressed.

It was then Mary Lou began ranting on about witches and you noticed that the crowd began to lose interest. Sadly, it was not because they disagreed with her view, only because they thought she was insane.

"I can't talk now, I'm sorry." He frowned.

"I know, just meet me by the alley over there if you can." You whispered, turning away before Mary Lou could notice you properly. You left, heading back to the alley where you were left with nothing but your thoughts.

Mary Lou's voice drained on in the background and you nervously began to pace as you planned what you would say to Credence. There was so much to tell him.

You wish you could tell him the good news first, that he was the Credence you had known as a little girl but that would have to wait. The important thing was to tell him about Graves. It had to be done carefully because if you worded things the wrong way, you might end up pushing him closer to Graves. It was going to be hard, letting him know the one person he trusted had no real interest in his wellbeing. He wouldn't want to believe you but you have to make him see the truth for his own sake.

A good bit of time passed without you noticing as you paced. Surely you must have looked crazy to anyone who saw you but you didn't care. The older you got, the little other's opinions of you seemed to matter.

"You see, he's not what he appears to be." You muttered to yourself, rehearsing exactly what you were going to say because it had to be done properly.

"Miss (Y/N)?"

You let out a shout in surprise, turning around to see Credence who took a few hurried steps back and looked down.

"I'm sorry." He murmured.

Guilt rushed through you quickly and you wished you hadn't reacted so strongly.

"It's okay. You just surprised me. Which is impressive. Good job, you've snuck up on an auror in training." You assured him.

That comment seemed to confuse him. He stepped a little closer, his eyebrows furrowed but he genuinely appeared to be curious.

"What's an auror?' He asked nervously.

Your face fell as you realized how little he knew about the world he had been thrust into.

"Graves hasn't told you much, has he?" You asked.

Credence played with the hat in his hands, suddenly looking quite ashamed. You hadn't meant to hurt him but you had somehow and you wished you hadn't ever said a word.

"He told me about wizards. About a magical child who needs help. If find them, he'll teach me magic and help me get away from my Mah."

You slowly stepped closer, taking a deep breath to try to remind yourself this needed to be done gently.

"But you can get away from her now." You pointed out to him carefully.

"I..I don't have anywhere to go. Mr. Graves said that once I find this child, wizards will accept me into their world and I'll finally have somewhere I belong." He explained.

You sighed, turning away from him and running a hand through your hair out of frustration. Not because of Credence but because of all the lies Graves have told him.

The way the wizard community treated squibs was almost worse than they treated no-maj. He would not be greeted with acceptance, he would be lucky if anyone gave him the time of day. It was insanely wrong and Graves was disgusting for ever feeding Credence toxic lies.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked with confusion.

Your heart gave an ache you turned around, offering a gentle smile.

"No. Of course you didn't. This day has just been crazy. Not your fault at all." You promised.

"I-I can't stay too long, I'm supposed to go pass out broth for the homeless children." He explained as he meddled with his hat.

He was rocking again, gently, most wouldn't notice if they weren't paying attention but you were.

"Alright, but, sweetheart, there are a lot of things I need to tell you. Very important things that I don't think should be talked about in an alley." You stressed.

You stepped close enough to actually touch him now. You met his eyes, attempting to read if it was okay and you saw the slightest nod. Cautiously, you reached a hand out. He didn't flinch, he leaned into your touch as you ran your fingers through his hair.

Your heart sank as you realized again just how badly he wanted nothing more than to be touched.

"Would you like me to come to your apartment again?" He asked, glancing up at you with hopeful eyes.

You smiled, moving your hand to his cheek and stroking it with your thumb. He needed the affection and you were more than happy to give it.

"You're welcome to come to my place whenever you want, Credence. But yes, I'd really like to see you tonight." You assured him.

He had shut his eyes as he leaned into your touch. You did not dare pull away. You would wait until he was ready to. You would not deprave him of something he never had.

You placed your other hand on his face, cupping it but still being just as gentle. Even with his eyes shut he kept his head downwards. You didn't have the heart to tell him about Graves now. Not yet. Not when he seemed so content. He trusted Graves and you didn't want him to go back to Mary Lou distraught with betrayal. Or in a worse case, angry with you and eager to listen to whatever Graves told him.

"Will you come if you can?" You asked softly and he nodded.

"Good." You whispered

Desperately, you wished to keep him close...but you knew if you kept him any longer he might get into trouble.

You pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead before pulling away, you didn't do it all at once, though, you did slowly never completely broke contact from him all it once. You moved one of your hands to hold on to his.

"I'll see you then, okay, sweetheart?" You offered a gentle smiled.

To your delight, he smiled the slightest amount and nodded.

It was only then you dared to let go and disapparated back to your own apartment.

You took a deep breath, holding your hand over your own rapidly beating heart. It was more overwhelming than you cared to admit. Seeing what had become of your friend. He had never deserved such a life. You would get him away from all of this if you could. Somehow.

With the rest of the day to yourself, it gave you time to study but more importantly, time to prepare a proper meal for Credence. You were not sure if he would even eat it but you hoped he would. You knew that woman must not be feeding him a lot. Whatever she was feeding him was not good enough for anyone. Magic made cooking a lot easier but it still stressed you a bit because you wanted it to be perfect for Credence. He deserved a good meal. He also deserved to be told the truth.

When it got dark, you slowly grew more and more worried. You tried to distract yourself by trying to find something better to wear. You knew there was no real need to change but you wanted to look nice for Credence. Part of you knew that was not a good thing, fancying Credence would only make things complicated for you both. He already dealt with so much and you had no right to burden him with feelings he most likely couldn't return on no fault of his own.

Still, as long as you didn't act on these feelings, it was fine. He would remain unaware and you could go on looking after him as best you could.

You looked at yourself in the mirror. You had put on a sweater and a skirt that made you feel a bit cuter. It really wasn't needed but you touched up your makeup, putting more effort into it this time. If something could have been done about you hair, you would have fixed it but it was a mess as usual. You got to worry a bit longer before there was a faint knock on the door.

A weight lifted off your chest and you hurried to the door, pulling it open and smiling when you saw Credence.

"You came. I was worried something had happened." You confessed.

You couldn't read his expression but his gaze was cast downward. That was not unusual for him but instead of his gazing at his own feet, he was looking at yours.

"What's wrong-oh. I don't have shoes on. Is that okay?" You asked.

He looked up, opening his mouth about to speak but quickly closing it when he saw you. He blinked, as if surprised, and you began to get a bit nervous.

Perhaps the red lip stick was a bit too much. The red toenail polish couldn't be helping anything either.

"You look pretty." He finally said, his face turning a bit pink but he had said it very calmly.

That had taken you by surprise, he had never complimented you on your appearance before and made your own face heat up a tad.

"I mean, you-you always are...I can just tell...you-um-did something different." He babbled and that made your own nerves ease slightly.

"Thank you, it was very nice of you to notice." You assured him before opening the door wider.

"I actually, made some food, we don't have to eat it. I just wanted to offer because I was worried you weren't getting to eat a lot." You spurted as you nervously rubbed the back of your neck.

He stepped inside and you closed the door before taking a few quick steps to gesture to the dinner table.

"Ta da." You beamed, trying to read his face which appeared to look utterly shocked.

"If you don't like baked ham, or fried cauliflower, or potatoes with cheese, we can just skip eating altogether." You promised quickly, worried you done something wrong.

"You made all that...just for me?" He finally asked and his eyes were slowly glassing over with tears.

"Of course, I was worried that woman wasn't giving you proper food so, I wanted to make you some. I made some caramel custard too." You added with a smile, trying to keep his spirts up because if he started crying properly, you knew he would feel embarrassed and you didn't want that for him.

You stepped closer, taking his hat from his hands and setting it aside. When you came back, you stepped in front of him, offering your hand.

"Will you have dinner with me, Mister Barebone?" You asked with a warm smile.

He blinked, clearly moved by your efforts but trying to contain it. He slowly took your hand but to your surprise, he used it to pull himself closer to you and wrap his arms around you.

"Credence." You breathed, surprised at how quickly it had happened.

"Thank you." He murmured and you slowly wrapped your arms around him.

"You don't have to thank me, sweetheart. I'm happy to do this for you." You promised gently as you rubbed his back.

You both stayed like this for at least a minute before Credence pulled away.

His eyes were glassed over with tears but he offered you a smile.

"As long as it's not too much trouble." He stressed and you chuckled.

"It's not any trouble at all, now come sit down with me, Mister Barebone."

He did exactly that, taking a seat next to you at the small table (you lived alone so there was no need for a large table). It was perfectly suitable for two people and you were relieved to actually see him eating.

He ate like a very well-mannered man, no elbows on the table, or relaxing in his chair. You feared he didn't know exactly how to relax. You would have to try to help him figure that out if at all possible.

"Can I ask you what you wanted to tell me at the meeting?" He asked after taking a few bites of baked ham.

It was then you were painfully reminded you were not gathered on the best terms. Graves was still up to something rather suspicious and you were the one meant to break it to him. It wasn't all bad news, though, perhaps you should start with the good news that you knew each other.

You placed your elbow on the tabled, resting your chin on your hand as you watched him with a fond smile.

"I'm debating if I should tell you the good news are bad news first." You explained and he looked at you with concerned eyes as he swallowed another bite.

"There's bad news?" He asked apprehensively.

You wished there was no bad news. That Graves did have good intentions and that you could trust him with this young man who was lost in this cruel world. You wanted to shield him. To protect him from everything, even the bad news. If there was some way to not tell him about it, to solve the problem on your own, you would have. You would have carried the world on your shoulders if that meant Credence remained happy. He had been robbed of his happiness when that dreadful woman stole him away. Ever since then, you doubted he had much to be happy about. Graves must have been the first good thing in his life, and you had to destroy that. You had to expose the man for what he was, even if it hurt Credence.

"Yes, but, we can talk about it a bit later." You assured him as you relaxed your arm.

He needed to eat and finding out your friend was a self-indulging bimbo could really put anyone off their diner.

"Let's talk about something else for a bit, how was your day?" You asked with a smile.

He looked at you, his eyes lighting up just a bit. He smiled the tiniest amount, the corners of his mouth turning up around the fork in his mouth.

"Did I say something funny?" You offered with a chuckle.

He swallowed another bite and shook his head.

"No, it just, I don't think anyone has ever asked me that before." He confessed with a shrug of his shoulders.

Your eyes went slightly wide and your mouth fell open a tad out of surprise.

"Well, more people should. Care to tell me about it? I'm very interested in the on goings of the dapper Mister Barebone." You beamed.

You delighted in the fact that saying that made his cheeks flush but the slight smile he wore faded away as he put his fork down.

"I fed the homeless children...which would be a lot more rewarding if Mah didn't force her...beliefs on them." He mumbled while his eyes were on his plate.

"If it makes you feel any better, most no-maj think she's insane." You offered.

"No-what?" He asked timidly.

You cursed Graves inwardly. Of course, the bastard hadn't told him anything that could actually be of use to Credence. Just more lies to draw him further into his web.

"No-maj. That's what we call people who aren't witches or wizards." You explained.

"Oh...I didn't know that." He confessed a bit embarrassed.

"It's alright, you weren't taught...did you do anything else today?" You asked, trying to change the subject to take his mind off not knowing magical terms.

It was then he frowned, properly. It was different from his resting face and the sight of it made you stiffen. Something had happened to him.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? You can tell me." You promised.

There was a long moment where he didn't say anything, unable to look up at you as he shook.

"Do you think I'm a freak?" He asked, his voice slightly broken.

Instantly, your heart filled with deep concern. Who in their right mind would call him such a thing?

"What? Of course not. Did someone call you that?" You asked with horror.

If you found out who it was, you were not sure if you would be able to stop yourself from punishing them. Credence dealt with enough. The last thing he needed was to be bullied.

"Yeah, someone...some man at the newspaper office." He confessed.

"Guys can be bastards, I swear. I have half a mind to go down there and....I can't do anything to him, I'd get in trouble. Maybe I can figure out a plan to get him fired." You muttered quite seriously.

Looking to him, you had hoped hearing this might cheer him up a bit but his eyes remained downward. You weren't helping at all.

You reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Credence, don't let what that bull said get to you. That's what tough guys do. Well, not all of them but a lot of them like to think they're special by picking on someone who clearly hasn't done anything wrong. You're a great guy, Credence. Really. I mean, I haven't known you for too long and you're easily the nicest guy I've met in New York. You're one of the nicest guys I've ever met period. People like to ridicule what they don't understand. Your...Mah doesn't understand my kind so she tries to gather people to put an end to us. That man didn't understand your Mah's cause, so he judged you. That's what people are extremely fond of, judging others without knowing them. Well, I know you Credence and I can tell you you're a very smart and kind young man. You don't need that guy's approval. You don't need anyone's approval but your own."

He finally looked up, his eyes meeting yours, his face had softened a bit but there was still a darkness behind his eyes. Part of you felt like that darkness would always be there. He had gone through far too much. He had demons he would have to carry on his back for the rest of his life...but perhaps he didn't have to carry it alone.

"Thank you, (Y/N)."

You smiled at the mention of your name without the 'miss.'

"Anytime, Credence." You promised him.

You stood, beginning to clear the table.

"But...what about your day?" He offered a bit nervously as he got to his own feet.

"My day- Oh you don't have to help, I can take care of it." You assured him but he was already helping you put left overs away.

"Alright, only because I like you." You warned and smiled as you watched the corners of his mouth turn a tad.

"Well, my day was just filled with studying really and trying to talk to you."

Now that you thought about it, the day has gone by faster than you realized.

"What are you studying for? If you don't mind me asking." He offered timidly as helped you with the dishes.

"Credence, you can ask me anything. We're friends." You reminded him gently while drying a now clean plate.

"Oh." He murmured, handing you another plate.

"I'm studying and training to be an auror, like Mr. Graves."

You explained as you stacked the dishes back in the cupboard. Though the comparison to Graves made you feel a bit ill.

"Is that what he is?" He asked with such a curious innocence that it made you smile.

"Yes. A very experienced one who's highly respected."

The dishes were now done so you turned around, hopping up onto the counter and sitting there. You were on eye level with him now and that made you smile even more.

"But what does an auror do?" He asked while carefully drying his hands.

You were relieved to see there were no injuries on them.

"Well, we're sort of like the police. Only we face magical dangers. Dark forces. That sort of thing." You shrugged.

He folded the towel neatly on the counter before moving a little closer to you. Your feet were almost touching just below his knees. He still only took small glances at your face but you were happy he felt comfortable looking at you at all.

"Oh, he never mentioned that." He confessed.

"He doesn't mention a lot of things." You sighed.

You hopped off the counter and he took a few startled steps back.

"Sorry-sorry. I should have warned you I was going to do that." You said quickly.

"It's fine. I'm fine." He muttered, his eyes cast downwards.

You hated that you hadn't been more cautious. You always tried your best but sometimes the little things slipped.

Stepping forward slowly, you offered your hand.

"Want to sit on the couch with me?" You asked hopefully.

He nodded before taking your hand carefully. His hand was much bigger than your own but you liked the way it felt. What you liked even more, was that he actually held onto your hand. He didn't just intertwine your hands; he interlocked your fingers and squeezed. It was a nice feeling, no one had held your hand like that since you were in school.

You lead Credence over to the couch, taking a seat first and then urging him to take a seat next to you.

He did so, sitting down with his shoulders slumped a bit as he focused on his shoes.

You sat cross-legged on the couch, facing him, your skirt covering your legs and your hands in your lap. For a moment it stayed like that, not a word was spoken as you tried to figure out how to break the news.

"I'm going to let you pick, good or bad news first." You decided and he shifted to look in your direction.

"Good, I guess." He said after a moment's thought.

Heat swelled up in your face and you felt your stomach do a small flip. The good news came with a lot of weight that made you very aware you were about to change his life.

"Alright." You breathed, trying to compose yourself but you were already absentmindedly fidgeting with your hands.

"Wow. This...suddenly got more nerve-wracking." You confessed when you saw him look at you with concern.

"Are you sure it's good news?" He inquired, trying his best to be helpful. You laughed softly with fondest and that calmed you down slightly.

"Yes, very. Well, I think so. I'm...I'm not sure how you'll take it." You explained, your hands still restless.

You hadn't even noticed your hands at work until Credence placed his own over yours, giving them a careful squeeze and then meeting your eyes.

"It's alright. I want to hear whatever you have to say." He assured you.

It was such an odd thing. Credence comforting you. How did he manage to be so thoughtful? He goes through so much, how could he spare your comfort a moment in his mind?

"Do you remember when I told you I once knew another boy with your name?" You finally had the courage to ask and you watched as he nodded slowly while he removed his hands.

"I-I think you said he moved away." He stammered, not completely sure of himself.

"I did. Very good memory...but something happened today. I was talking to Mr. Graves and he was telling me that you remember being taken away from your birth mother?" You asked gently, hoping he wouldn't mind talking about it.

He shrugged nervously playing with the end of his sleeve.

"I can't remember much. I can't remember her at all. I just remember being happy with her and then...she died. I think Mah might have done it. She acts like she did sometimes. I don't know though." He confessed before shooting and apologetic look at you.

"It's alright. It was a long time ago, you can't be expected to remember everything." You assured him.

You took a breath, bracing yourself to make sure you told this properly.

"But...you see, ever since we first met, you reminded me of my Credence. Even before I knew that was your name. I just...there was something about you. Then, you continued to remind me of him but I never let myself think you could possibly be him."

The weight of this truth started to push down on your chest and you grew very nervous when he looked at you with confusion.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Credence, my friend didn't just move away. He was taken away after his mother died." You confessed, hoping he would connect the dots.

He didn't say a word for a moment, only looked down, but you could see it on his face once he properly pieced it all together. He looked awe struck when he finally met your eyes again.

"You...you mean...I'm-

"You're my first friend from when I was little." You explained, your chest tightening with the threat of tears.

He blinked, resembling a startled animal. Hesitantly, he turned toward you fully.

"We knew each other?" He asked, his voice breathless.

"Yes. We were best friends actually. Well, as close as you could be when you're toddlers." You explained with a nervous smile but tears were forming in your eyes.

"Do you...do you remember what I was like?" He asked hopefully.

He didn't break eye contact now. He was almost desperate to hear whatever you had to say.

The question itself surprised you but you smiled fondly at the thought.

"Yeah, of course. I mean, not as clearly as I would like but I can remember how happy you always made me. You were a very happy kid, Credence. You loved doing magic. You practiced it. Which was odd because most people don't practice it that young but you were that enthused by it. You also were the giggliest little thing. You would laugh and it would make me laugh and then we'd laugh until we got tired."

He looked down and smiled fully, it was so delightful it made you smile as well.

"I could do magic?" He asked with wonder, looking back at you with astonishment.

"Yeah. Just a little. We were just kids." You explained.

He covered his mouth with hand but it was obvious he was still smiling as he looked down again.

A few seconds passed before his face softened a bit and he removed his hand.

"Do, do you remember what my mom was like?" He asked, looking at you with urgency.

Your heart ached at that question and you wished you could tell him his mother was still alive somewhere.

"She was sweet. Like you. Very soft spoken. Very gentle. Very caring. She looked a lot like you, dark hair, dark eyes. She loved you... so very much, Credence."

At that, you watched as the tears spilled slowly out of his eyes and he looked down.

Your heart sank and you felt guilt fill you. That you hadn't meant to do.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Before you could finish, he wrapped his arms around you. The shock took your breath away but you hugged him back.

"It's...it's not your fault. It's just...I didn't know anything about her. I couldn't remember and Mah made her sounds like a horrible person."

He was shaking again, his face buried into your shoulder as you rubbed his back.

"She wasn't. She was a sweetheart, like you." You soothed.

You remained like this for a few minutes until the shaking stopped and he was composed.

He pulled away, his eyes slightly red but he offered a gentle smile.

"We...we were friends." He said with a happiness behind his eyes.

"We were. We still are. I looked for you after they took you but I could never find you." You said apologetically.

You had always felt like a failed for never tracking him down.

He reached out, his fingertips touching the back of your hand.

"But you did find me." He reminded you gently, still smiling.

The smile was radiant and warmed your heart

"A bit late, but we did find each other." You touched his two finger tips with your own.

"That's...that's amazing. I thought I was alone and that I'd never find any sort of trace of my life before." He admitted as he lowered his hand.

"No. There are a lot of traces, I promise. One day, I'll take you back to my parent's house in Brooklyn. That's where we met, we were neighbors. There are a ton of pictures of us there from when were little." You assured him and his eyes lit up.

"Really?" He asked, trying to contain his excitement.

You saw no reason for him to contain anything and you stood.

"Yes, and I think I actually might have some tucked away here, hold on."

You dashed off to your room, sitting down on the bed and opening your bedside draw. Carefully, you pulled out the photo album and hurried back to the living room.

"Found it." You said excitedly as you sat back down on the couch.

You almost flipped the album open without thinking because of how eager you were but you forced yourself to calm down.

"Now, I must warn you, witches and wizards pictures are different from no-maj pictures." You breathed.

"How?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"They move. They capture the moment better than a no-maj picture ever could." You explained before opening the album.

The first few pictures were from your time in Ilvermony with your friends, Credence was memorized at the sight of the moving pictures. You flipped through them until you reached the first picture of you and Credence.

You were both around 2 years old, laughing hysterically as you both sat in the garden while Credence made the flowers change colors without really meaning to. He was a bit bigger than you, even then. His smile was bright, his hair was still dark, only here it was wavy and touched his shoulders.

"You can't see it as much but you were changing the colors of the flowers." You said fondly as you pointed to the flowers in the pictures.

"I look happy." He breathed and you glanced at him to see that alone was shocking to him.

"You were." You confirmed, looking back down at the toddlers you used to be.

You wished you could remember everything vividly but it was impossible.

"My hair is so long." He said with a breathless chuckle as he reached out and carefully ran his fingers over the photo.

"Oh you loved your long hair. Wouldn't let your mom cut it." You explained with a faint smile.

Without really thinking, you looked at him again, only now focusing on his hair which looked nice despite the cut would look horrible on most, still, he probably didn't want the hair cut at all. You reached out, brushing your fingertips over his hair.

"You should let it grow out. If you want to. You look keen either way."

"Mah wouldn't-

"You won't be with your Mah forever, when you're not, you can do whatever you like." You assured him.

He met your eyes for a moment and there was a sadness behind them. Did he not believe he would ever escape her clutches?

He looked away, back to the photo and looking closely at the younger you. You wore a cute little dress and a big bow in your hair. Even then your focus was more so on him than the flowers.

"You look happy." He commented as if a bit pleased he had managed to do that.

"I was...I'm very happy now, because of you. As usual." You said dryly.

You had assumed he knew that. To you, it was obvious the effect he had but it wasn't until he looked at you again that you realized this was brand new information to him.

"I still...make you happy? Even though I'm not...the same."

He was still Credence. Your Credence. His life had shaped him differently than it should have but he was still the same person. Despite everything, it was still him.

You reached out, caressing his cheek and smiling when he leaned into your touch. His eyes closed and you wished you could give him nothing but comfort.

"You're still my Crede." You affirmed and his eyes opened.

"Crede?" He asked curiously.

Hesitantly, you removed your hand and shrugged.

"I couldn't say your name very well when we were little." You explained a bit bashfully and to your joy, this made him laugh.

It was a glorious sound. An infectious and delightful sound that made you feel younger than you were.

"I can start calling you that again." You giggled.

"That'd be nice." He said after calming down a bit.

You both sat on the couch for a while, flipping through more photos of you both as children. It was the most you had seen him smile, seeing himself as a child seemed to make him happy which was all you wanted him for him. He deserved to be happy.

It could not last forever, though. You reached the last photo which was of you both playing in the water on the beach and after talking about what you could remember about the day, you closed the album and placed it on the table.

"I wish I could remember all of that." Credence whispered as you relaxed back onto the couch.

"It's alright. I can't remember everything myself. We were both really little." You explained.

He sighed and turned to face you a bit more, relaxing just a bit as he looked at you.

"I suppose, I should ask you the bad news?" He asked nervously.

It was then you realized that this wasn't just a happy occasion. There was still things lurking in the shadows that needed to be addressed.

"Oh, that." You murmured, unable to stop yourself from frowning.

"Whatever it is, nothing can soil this." He assured you.

You took a deep breath, trying to brace yourself for the heavy conversation. You had no idea how he was going to take this news.

Just as you were about to open your mouth to speak, that was when there was a loud crack and you both looked behind the couch to see Graves standing there. Looking at you both as if he popped in like this daily.

You had never seen Credence move as quickly as he did in that moment. He jumped up to his feet in a flash and turned to look at Graves. He didn't look directly at him, though, his gaze cast mostly downward as he shook a bit nervously.

"Mr. Graves." He breathed.

"Am I interrupting something?" Graves asked with just a hint of a smile.

The sight of it made your insides twist but you forced yourself to your feet.

"We're just having dinner." You explained as you turned to face him.

"Miss (Y/N) realized we knew each other when we were young." Credence said, sounding a bit pleased to tell Graves the good news but it only made you stiffen.

You hadn't wanted Graves to know this information. You didn't want Graves to know anything about you or your life at all.

"You did? You didn't care to mention that before." Graves said, sounding almost impressed you had kept something from him.

"Oh, I just wasn't completely sure. I had to hear the story from him himself and look at some old pictures. He is my old friend, though." You said nonchalantly.

You would let him think it wasn't a big deal, or at least try to.

"That's wonderful. Friends reuniting for a good cause." He said with a bit of cheer as he stepped further into the living room.

You didn't like the fact that he was in your house at all. You didn't want him here. You didn't want him anywhere near Credence.

"Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Graves?" Credence asked, almost desperate to please the older man.

"I was just coming to get a report. Have you any news?" Graves asked.

You watched with worry as Graves stepped closer, gently grabbing Credence by the shoulder.

Credence stopped shivering under his touch but he looked further down, as if too shy to meet the man's eyes.

"I'm still looking. Mr. Graves, if I knew if it was a girl or a boy-

"No, my vision only showed the child immense power."

Your mouth almost fell open at that sentence. Vison? You had never heard of Graves being a Seer. He had never hinted at being able to see the future. Which was odd because every Seer you had ever come into contact with usually enjoyed talking about being a Seer.

"(Y/N) can even tell you, the child will be no older than ten." Graved added with a nod toward you.

This sickened you. He was using you as some sort of tool to bait Credence even more into thinking he knew best.

"He's right." You forced yourself to say when Credence looked in your direction.

It wasn't a lie. Every case you had ever read about an Obscurial was a child who never reached 11 years old.

"See? Miss (Y/N) is a bright young girl. She's going to help you find this child." He promised Credence, patting him gently on the neck before pulling his hands away.

Credence didn't appear to like this what so ever. He frowned, obviously wanting more contact from the man but Graves was only willing to dish it out at his own pleasure.

"I've even ensured that you don't have to attend training for the next few weeks. They will believe you are being trained and taught under me. You will even receive extra credit. I thought this could ensure we found the child more quickly which is very important." Graves said, shooting you a soft smile. As if you both now shared some sort bond now.

"Yes, sir. Of course, thank you for making the effort." You quickly said.

He moved closer to you, cupping your cheek in his hand and you met his darks eyes. He thought you were like everyone else. That you swooned over his looks but you never had.

"You're a good girl." He told almost fondly.

"I try my best, sir." You breathed, trying your best to look as startled and flattered as any of the girls in training would or even Credence.

Part of you wondered if Credence might me attracted to Graves as well. It wasn't unheard of for people to be attracted to the same sex. It wasn't accepted well in the no-maj world or the wizarding one sadly.

It wouldn't bother you if he was, Graves was a handsome man but if Credence did like men, you had to be sure to find him someone more suitable. His happiest and safety came first. Even if it did hurt a bit knowing he might not ever see you the way you saw him.

You slowly pulled away from Graves, still smiling to try to disguise your disgust.

"I didn't know you were a Seer, sir." You commented as he started to look around your living room.

This comment made him stiffen a bit but he continued to focus on the art work on the wall.

"It's something I keep to myself. It helps with many cases." He said simply before turning around to face you both once more.

"I have seen a vision of you both quite recently." He said and Credence looked up.

"You did?" He asked with a sense of wonderment.

"Yes, I saw you both, together, in New York. You looked happy. I believe it is because you both found the child and (Y/N) was helping you settle into our world." Graves smiled toward you and you forced one back.

He was lying. He had to be. But this wasn't for Credence. This was for you. He was telling you what he thought you wanted to hear. He was trying to believe this nonsense as well. He most likely wasn't a Seer at all.

"Then we'll find the child." You offered quickly and he chuckled.

"That's the right attitude." He urged and you watched as Credence looked down, his cheeks a bit flushed. Was he...envious of you?

Graves stepped toward you both, placing a hand on both of your shoulders.

"Once you both find the child, things will finally be as it should be." Graves promised.

"I will try my best." Credence stammered, looking at Graves the best he could manage.

"Don't forget to include (Y/N), in my vision, she is who helps you find the child." Graves warned before removing his hands.

Funny how this vision continued to help his own agenda. You couldn't help but feel like he was doing this just to keep you away from him. From figuring out what he was up to.

"I won't." Credence swore and Graves nodded before he moved back behind the couch.

"Good. I also paid a visit to your mother. She's in bed for the night, under the impression you already in your bed. Perhaps you could get a good's nights rest here?" He suggested.

Again, it seemed like he was trying to give you what you wanted. Trying to keep you occupied.

"Oh." Credence breathed, surprised and a bit alarmed.

"Only if you want to, Crede." You quickly said, not wanting to force him into anything.

Credence looked up, meeting your eyes and he seemed eager as he nodded.

"I'd like to." He whispered and you nodded.

"Looks like you both have some catching up and planning to do. I will check in again later."

With that, he was gone with a crack, so loud and so quickly it made Credence jump.

You moved forward, touching his shoulder.

"It's okay. He should warn you before he does that." You insisted, your anger bubbling up to the surface as you took a seat on the couch.

"I can't believe him." You growled while rubbing your cheek. Graves had touched you. As if his good looks and favor was supposed to be an award.

"I don't think he meant to... frighten me. I just scare easily. That's not his fault." Credence tutted as he took a seat next to you once more.

He was wrapped around Grave's finger and you knew telling him the truth right now wouldn't work. Your focused shifted to the fact he was going to be staying the night with you and you tried to cheer up a bit.

"You might be right...on a happier note, let's get you set up in my room. I'll take the couch." You said warmly as he stood again.

He looked up at you, his eyes filled with concern.

"I-I can sleep on the couch. This is your house." He shrugged, looking down, clearly a bit nervous to disagree with you at all.

"Well, I want my guest to be as comfortable as possible and since he doesn't want me to sleep on the couch, would you mind sleeping with me?" You suggested.

It didn't cross your mind that it was a bit scandalous to suggest this at all. He was your friend and it wasn't like anything would happen.

"I want to do whatever makes you comfortable." You added, worried he might think it was a bit too much.

He looked up, fidgeting with his hands.

"I wouldn't mind, as long as that's okay with you."

"It's okay, Crede. Now come on, I'll make some pajamas for you." You offered your hand and he stood before taking it.

"Make me pajamas?" He asked curiously.

"I'm a witch of many talents." You chuckled.

A comfort came with the fact that Credence would be spending the night with you. He would be by your side, the one place where you knew he was safe. Still, you were more conflicted than ever. Credence needed to know about Graves but you weren't sure how to break the news to him. He respected Graves, he might even care for Graves and if that was the case, you would quickly become an enemy in Credence eyes if he didn't like what he heard.You couldn't let that happen. You couldn't lose him. You wouldn't. You just had to figure out how to do this carefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Another chapter finished. Took me long enough. I do plan to continue and I do have a few ideas on where to take this fic, I'd love to hear any ideas you have though that might help me get a bit more inspired. Hopefully, I'll update a bit sooner. :)


	5. This Place Was A Shelter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your night with Credence doesn't seem go exactly how you expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I updated the fic somewhat recently! I want to thank everyone who has left any kudos or comment (the very long one I go to warmed my heart)! I hope you all enjoy this part as well. I thankfully have the entire fic planned out now so there should be somewhat regular updates.

After using a summoning charm to get Credence some pajamas (that were just a bit too big because you hadn't been sure exactly what size), you began muddling around in your own unorganized drawers for your own nightwear. 

"How do you think we can find the child?" Credence asked; his voice slightly muffled from behind the bathroom door where he was changing.

You sighed, resting your head on the top of the drawer. Graves had convinced him that was the most important priority.

Finding the child was important to you (you, of course, didn't want the poor child to die) but getting Credence away from Graves and his horrible mother felt like it was important as well.

"I wouldn't worry about that too much." You finally replied, lifting your head to continue your search.

"B-But Mr. Graves said it was urgent." Credence pointed out hesitantly as he opened the bathroom door.

"He says a lot of things." You mumbled to yourself, grabbing a pair of pajamas.

"It is urgent. It is but some other things are important too." You turned around, smiling at the sight of him in blue and white striped pajamas. 

He stood there, his eyes on his hands that he toyed with because your eyes were on him.

"Like what?" He asked with confusion.

"Well, you for that matter." You answered and you chuckled when you watched the corners of his mouth turn up a bit. 

"I'm-I'm not-" 

"Credence, you are important. Even if you don't feel like it, you are." You reminded him before stepping into the bathroom to change. 

You rarely wore pajamas, living alone you were free to wear what you liked and usually, you just slept in some underwear.

Thankfully, you still had a comfortable pair of yellow pajamas that you began to put on.

"Didn't you say we used to stay at each other's houses?" Credence asked from the bedroom.

You smiled to yourself while pulling the baggy bottoms on.

"We did. Not exactly a common thing to do for children who were the opposite sex but thankfully your mom and my mom were very forward thinking women."

You pulled on your top which was just as baggy in the arms and sighed. Pajamas weren't exactly made to flatter the human body. At least not the ones you currently owned.

"We were just babies." Credence added you nodded as you looked at yourself in the mirror.

Your confidence in your looks had always wavered. Sometimes, you thought you were average looking, on good days you thought you were actually pretty but most days you spent your life trying not to think about your looks. It was better that way.

"Exactly, and what is a pair of babies going to get up to? Necking? Of course not." You agreed and you groaned at the sight of yourself when you turned to the side.

"Is something wrong?" He asked timidly and you stepped out of the bathroom.

You stretched your arms out to show off the unflattering mess.

"I look like a banana. I'm a comfortable banana but a banana nonetheless." You explained while flipping the light off.

This statement made Credence laugh. It was a quiet laugh but it made you giggle all the same as you climbed onto the bed.

"At least I'm an amusing banana." You said while sitting cross-legged on the bed in front of Credence. 

He sat, his legs brought up to his chest and his arms hugging his knees.

"You don't look like a banana." He said with a sense of fondness that made you flush.

You knew he most likely didn't fancy you but you couldn't help your feelings toward him.

He was sweet. Immensely sweet and almost heartbreakingly handsome. You didn't know everything about him but you wanted to. You hadn't really been in a proper relationship before but you were well versed in what liking someone felt like. This was it. You were very keen on Credence and you could do nothing about it.

"Thank you, sweetheart." You said, smiling softly back up at him.

"Why do you call me that?" He asked, his chin resting on his knees as he looked at you. 

"Because that's what you are. Would you prefer something else? I can call you doll face. You've got one of those too." You joked as you moved to lay down on one side of the bed. 

You lied down on your stomach, turning your head and beaming when you saw his own face tinged with redness. You didn't get a good look at it because he hid his face in his knees but you could tell he was smiling.

That was an accomplishment. You felt like you were doing something right if you could keep Credence happy.

"You really think so?" He asked innocently. 

You didn't answer for a moment, scooting yourself underneath the blankets and lying on your back to watch him properly.

"You're a doll, Credence." You confirmed while rubbing his back with a very gentle touch.

Underneath your hand, you felt his body relax and it took him a few moments but he finally came out of his shell.

"Doesn't that mean I'm a pretty woman?" He asked, not seeming offended but confused as he laid down.

He laid on his side and you turned on your own side so you could face him.

Being this close made your own heart race a bit but you tried to focus on the conversation. It was a bit hard while being close enough to feel his breathing.

"I like to think it just means you're pretty." You replied, looking down at his chest which was somewhat visible because he had left the top button undone. His skin looked as pale and smooth as the rest of him. You had the urge to reach out and run your fingertips over the exposed skin but you kept your hands to yourself.

"I didn't know men could be pretty." He confessed and you looked up, smiling up at him. 

"Anyone can be, Crede." You assured him before closing your eyes. 

That made things a bit easier. Closing your eyes and not seeing how handsome he was made your heart rate ease a tad but you were still very aware of his presence.

The air was thick because of how aware you were. There was another person in your bed. A very attractive person who you were developing feelings for more quickly than you cared to admit.

"Thank you for letting me stay the night." Credence said in such a soft voice that it made your heart feel lighter.

"I'm happy you're here," you assured him, "I meant what I've said, Credence. You're welcome here anytime." You opened your eyes and found his dark eyes on you.

It surprised you, for a moment you thought he would look away but his eyes remained locked on yours. It didn't feel tense or awkward, it almost felt as if he was studying you which made your own cheeks heat up a bit. Out of nervousness, you looked down. You weren't used to anyone looking at you so intently and it made you more flustered than you expected.

"I'm sorry." Credence said quickly and you felt his fingertips graze your arm hesitantly before he finally touched it properly. "Staring is very rude, I shouldn't have-" 

You cut him off by looking back up and pressing your head to his gently.

He hadn't done anything wrong and you weren't going to let him think he had. He was just curious was all. It wasn't his fault you had taking a liking to him.

This action shocked him into silence and you smiled as you stared right into his eyes. You smiled warmly until he let out a breathy laugh which caused you to giggle. "I don't mind, I'm just a bit shy sometimes is all."

It wasn't a complete lie. Sometimes you could get slightly shy but you had never been known as a shy person. Saying that was simply the only thing you could think to tell him that didn't seem too unrealistic. This was for the better. He didn't need to be burdened by your feelings.

"You?" He asked, his eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Sometimes." You reminded him.

He stared at you for another moment and you feared he could see right through you. You were about to scoot further away, to try to make things less obvious when he pressed his head to yours.

Normally, you felt as if you knew what Credence was going to do but that little gesture had been a delightful surprise that caused a giggle to escape your lips. "Hello again." You greeted and your heart gave quite a few fast and determined beats when he smiled.

For the briefest second, your mind tricked you into thinking he was actually going to kiss you and the thought alone made you turn red again. Your heart was beating so rapidly and the little space between you felt hot but in the back of your mind, you realized he would never kiss you.

"Hello," He replied softly, his smile relaxing a bit as he gazed into your eyes, "W-Would it be alright if we stay like this?" His voice was quiet and unsure.

It was then you remembered how desperately Credence needed the comfort of touch. Of course, he would want to stay as close as possible.

You saw worry start to settle in him and before he could take back his question, you wrapped a leg around him carefully (ready to pull away if he gave any sort of sign it was too much)  and then brought your arm to wrap around him, your fingertips almost touching the back of his neck. You shut your eyes, smiling to yourself because he relaxed completely under your touch.

He didn't say anything for quite some time but you felt his breathing pick up just a bit before he moved closer to you, until there was hardly any space between you both at all. He wrapped an arm around you as well and you could feel his hand shaking. 

You rubbed his back gently, trying to assure him it was alright to touch you. "It's okay."

He got his arm wrapped around you properly and he held onto you. You dared to open your eyes again and found his looking at you once more. 

"Better?" You asked breathlessly.

He only nodded before shutting his own eyes. He looked utterly peaceful. You wondered if he had ever had a night like this, a night where he wasn't constantly suffering. You highly doubted it.

You couldn't keep your free hand from wandering to his hair where you lightly combed your fingers through it. This didn't seem to bother him, in fact, he leaned into your touch.

He should rest like this every night. Peacefully and with someone to hold him close. If Graves got his way, there was no telling what would happen to Credence.

You knew it wasn't the best time to bring up the conversation but you had to at least try while he was calm.

"Crede?" You asked gently and his eyes fluttered back open. 

He seemed so utterly at ease, it almost felt like a crime to do anything to distribute his good mood but you had to do something.

"I just...I think we should both be a bit weary of Mr. Graves," You began, watching to see his reaction, "He's said some things that makes me think he doesn't care about your well-being as much as he should."

Slowly, he pulled his head away from yours and his face was filled with puzzlement. "What-What do you mean?" He asked, sounding panicked as his fingers suddenly gripped tightly onto your pajama top. 

Instantly, you wished you could take it all back, seeing him look so hurt and confused made your stomach flip.

"You see, Mr. Graves, he's a very powerful man. He's not an auror in training like me. He has known about your situation from the beginning and from then, he should have done more to help you." You explained and frowned when you felt him start to shake.

"He has helped," Credence said, his voice breaking as he shook his head. "He is helping. After I we find this child-"

You saw tears forming in his eyes and your chest ached. Maybe you shouldn't have said a thing at all and dealt with the problem on your own. Gently, you cupped his face, trying to calm him down.

"Sweetheart, you owe him nothing, he should help you out of the kindness of his heart, not because he needs something from you." You explained but shaking grew worse as tears escaped his eyes.

"No. You don't understand-you don't. I have to do this-I have to help so witches and wizards so-so they'll let me be a part of their world." He said through shaken breaths. 

It was then you realized just how deeply Graves had sunk his claws into Credence. You had underestimated his control over him. Telling your friend this was only going to upset him because he would never believe you.

Credence had been alone, no comfort, no friends, he was a man wandering the desert, searching for someone, anyone to care for him. That was when Graves appeared, offering a small amount of comfort, praise, the promise of glory and a place to belong. He had brought Credence hope for the first time in his life and that was rooted deeply in him now.

You saying this would change nothing. Credence wouldn't believe you and that wasn't his fault. Graves had left his mark on him and only physical proof could erase it.

This conversation was only upsetting him, of course, it was, you were trying to destroy the image of the first person who appeared to care. You were lucky he only appeared to be upset with you and not angry. If he had been angry, he might have shut you out altogether.

You would have to tackle the Graves issue on your own. You would need to find proof that Graves didn't care about Credence for him to ever believe you.

"Crede," You tried to sooth, "I'm sorry. I'm probably just misunderstanding him. It's my fault. You don't have to pay attention to a word I said."

Credence didn't appear to hear you because he pulled away from you all together, turning his back away from you to bury his face into the pillow.

This had been a mistake. All of it. You damned yourself for ever saying a word on the subject.

You placed a hand on his back when you saw his convulsing grow worst. "Credence." 

A vase on your bedside containing some flowers started to shake and this quickly grabbed your attention. You pulled your hand away from Credence and let out a small yelp when the vase shattered.

You looked back to Credence who was rocking uncontrollably and you remembered one your first interactions where Credence had come to your apartment in a similar state... a painting had fallen off the wall.

This was something that seemed unimportant at the time but now you realized that it was Credence doing this. He was a squib but that didn't mean he was without magic completely. He was so distraught by the idea of Graves not being what he seemed that it was causing things around him to break. 

"Credence." You whispered, touching his back again and watching as the books on your bookshelf flew straight to the ground. 

Your mind raced, trying to think of things you could do to ease him. You laid down, hugging him tightly from behind which wasn't very easy because his convulsing didn't stop. "Crede, sweetheart, it's okay."

Something in the bathroom shattered and you figured it must have been the mirror.

"I'm sorry, Credence. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said a thing. I'm just a silly worrywart is all. I'm sorry for saying anything so stupid." Your chest ached and despite your efforts, tears started coming out of your eyes.

This was your fault. You had upset him this much and that wrecked you.

His convulsing went on for what felt like forever and all you could do was cry through apologies you hugged onto him tightly, your face buried in his shoulder.

You kept your eyes shut tight as you heard things in your bedroom break and move. It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the man you held onto for dear life.

You were not sure how much time had passed because your crying had exhausted you, without meaning to, you had drifted off while clutching desperately at your friend.

It was still dark when your sore eyes opened again and you were laying on your side, your eyes now on the open window, your curtains slightly swaying from the wind. 

The next thing you noticed was that the arm wrapped around you, holding you close but with a certain gentleness as if you might break. There was a leg wrapped around you as well and a steady breath on the back your neck which made you shiver.

"Crede?" You asked, your heart still heavy from what you had done.

You weren't sure how you had ended up like this, the last you remembered, your positions were opposite.

"Shh, you should sleep." He whispered and the voice was so close to your ear that a chill ran up your body.

"A-Are you alright?" You asked, wanting to turn over to look at him but you felt far too tired to move. Your eyes focused on his hand which wrapped gently around your wrist. "I'm sorry I said that. I was just paranoid. I worry too much." You moved your hand a bit so you could interlock your fingers with his. Your heart didn't feel as heavy when you saw his long fingers intertwine with your own. 

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't-I shouldn't have reacted that way. I just..when I get really upset-

"Your magic comes out." You explained, stroking the back of his hand with your thumb.

He tensed just a bit and you felt his face buried into your neck, almost as if he was trying to hide from what you had said.

"That's what it is?" He asked in such a small voice that it made your heart ache a little. 

"Yes. I think you might be a squib which means your magic levels are a little low. I don't think they're as low as most squibs though because, well," you glanced around the room which now looked like a storm had blown through, "you managed to do quite a bit just now."

He didn't say anything for a moment and you continued to lightly stroke his hand. 

"It's okay, it's nothing I can't clean up with a little wave of my hand." You promised him and smiled a bit as you felt him nuzzle his face further into your neck. 

"I'm still sorry." He murmured.

There was a moment of silence where you were very aware he was wrapped around you, his nose pressed into your neck and his hand locked with your own.

You were tangled together like lovers would be but that was the furthest thing from what you were. You wished things were different but you knew they never would be.

"Do you really think Graves might not be...good?" Credence asked, his voice a bit shaken.

For a second, you weren't sure how to answer that question. You didn't want to upset him again but you also didn't want to completely lie to him. 

"I think I'm just being a worrywort...still, being cautious never hurts." You offered while snuggling a bit closer to him.

If he wanted to hold you like this, you were more than happy to make things easier for him.

The movement made a soft laugh escape his lips and the warmth of it made you giggle.

"I can't help myself, you have nice strong arms, Mister Barebone." You said warmly before closing your eyes as the sleepiness started to settle in again.

A yawn fell from your lips and he hugged you a little tighter. "Try to sleep, okay? You've worried far too much about me."

You shook your head and relaxed into him even more. "I've done that my whole life, Crede. Always will because of how much I care about you."

Soon, you fell into a deep and comfortable sleep you had never really experienced before. Being wrapped in Credence's arms was a wonderful thing you never wanted to end.

Despite how badly you wished for things to remain this way, you woke when you heard something hit the floor.

The first thing you noticed was the lack of Credence's presence and the fact that the tiniest bit of daylight was starting to fill the room. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." 

Your eyes followed the sound of his uneasy voice where he stood by the bookcase, now dressed in his black clothes.

"It's okay, what are you doing?" You asked with a big yawn as you sat up.

It was then you looked around the room which was no longer a wreck. Everything had been cleaned and put back in its original place.

"Credence," you said fondly while rubbing your tired eyes, "You didn't have to do all this, it wouldn't have taken me long at all to get it up.

He placed the book he had dropped back on the shelf and moved back over to the bed where he sat in front of you. His gaze remained on his hands in his lap as he fidgeted with them. "I wanted to, I did cause it after all. Do you think you can maybe teach me to control it one day?"

"I can surely try but magic that comes from raw emotion like this is always tricky. It's not impossible though." You assured him. 

You fought the urge to simply wrap your arms around him again, after last night it almost felt like that was what the natural state for you two. 

He looked at you with a small hopeful smile. "Thank you...and I don't just mean for that-I mean for everything."

Heat rose to your face and you looked away with a smile."You don't have to thank me, sweetheart. I'm happy to have you here."

When you looked back at him, he was smiling at you, still a little too nervous to look directly into your eyes. 

"I wish I could stay but I need to get back before Mah wakes up." He explained with a shrug. 

You didn't want him to leave. You wanted to shelter him from that horrible woman but until you figured out how to convince him he could leave her clutches and move in with you, it would have to remain this way.

"Okay," you breathed and you moved a little closer, "Come back here when you can though, alright?" You wrapped your arms around him.

He hugged you back, his face buried into your neck again. "I will."

You desperately wished to keep him right here but you knew if you never let him go, he wouldn't be back in time.

Slowly, you let go and offered the warmest smile you could manage even though him leaving made your heart feel heavy. "I'll see you later."

He nodded, getting to his feet and heading toward the door. "Bye, (Y/N)."

You waved at him as he stood in the doorway. He gave a very small wave before closing the bedroom door behind him.

When he was gone, you laid back on the bed, your hand immediately going to your rapidly beating heart to try to ease it.

One thing was clear to you now, the feelings you had for Credence were far deeper the initial crush you thought it was.

You weren't sure what to exactly call these feeling...but in truth, you were just too afraid to address it for what it obviously was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More updates to come.


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